


Sleep

by orphan_account



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, I was listening to hozier and felt this yearning ok, M/M, this is so domestic ok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-29 05:23:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20791328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Dib and Gaz have to go pry their Dad and Zim away from work.





	Sleep

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't sleep and made this. Also, this might(?) take place in the same au as my other fic I'm working on for this pairing. Idk yet, it's still unfinished since it's going to just be a really long oneshot since I'm bad with multi chapter fics ahdfsfhgbuhidj

It was still a bit weird for Dib to be able to come and go to his Dad’s workplace and find Zim walking around. It was even more weird that Zim didn’t wear his scientist disguise around his Dad anymore, but he guesses that’s to be expected after the alien had come clean to his Dad. Shaking his head, Dib nudged his sister beside him to let her know the elevator doors opened up.

They were on their way to their Dad’s office since he hadn’t come home in half a week, which used to be the norm but things had changed a lot in the past two years. It usually meant that both his Dad and Zim were probably fixated on some sort of project and probably hadn’t really eaten anything in those few days.

“What if they’re making out when we walk in?” Gaz asks, not looking up from her game.

Shuddering, Dib shakes his head. “I still can’t understand Dad thinking that Zim is, in any way, ‘cute’”

Gaz shrugs in reply and they continue their walk down the halls. It’s pretty empty, though Dib and Gaz had planned on that. Since they had started coming to the labs more often, the other scientists liked to fawn over them and it made Dib uncomfortable. They were nice, but they usually made it harder to leave since Gaz would just play her games unless if she felt snappy. Those days were nice since she’d get mad at them but it never really worked on getting majority of the scientists to leave.

“Should we try the office first?” Gaz asked, shutting her game off and shoving it into her pocket.

“Yeah, they should probably have left something lying around tell which lab they’re in.” Dib nodded as they turned a corner towards their Dad’s office.

Gaz grunted in reply and looked at her nails as they walked. “We should repaint our nails tonight.”

Dib looked at his nails, noticing they were a bit chipped. “As long as you help me into talking them into buying us some snacks. Zim keeps eating them by the time I look for them.”

“Fair enough.”

As they come up to their Dad’s office, Dib pulls out his key. His Dad had given each of them a key to his office when they had started coming around the labs more often. Unlocking the door, Dib and Gaz walk in and find the office a mess, which is unusual. Zim is a clean freak and their Dad usually likes to keep things orderly, so this only further proves that they haven’t slept in a while.

Zim is usually okay without sleep but their Dad has the tendency to rely on caffeine to the point that it’s unhealthy. Walking over to a stack of papers on the desk, Dib looks over them and scans the papers for any indication to which lab they are holed up in. Gaz goes to the coffee table on the side and starts doing the same. After what feels like an hour, Gaz calls out to her brother that she knows which lab they’re in.

Quickly walking out of the office and locking the door behind them, they walk over to the elevator and make their way to the underground labs. It one of the only times they need to use their keycards that Zim had given to them. It was another one of the weird things that had come about since Zim and his Dad had gotten together, Zim being nice and treating him with his own weird form of care. Dib was still unsure how to feel about it though it was pretty nice that Dib didn’t have to really worry about Zim trying anything anymore, and when he did, they were just empty threats and his own weird way of teasing Dib.

“What are you thinking about? You’re making a weird face, oh wait- that’s just your normal face.” Gaz mocks him with a grin on her face.

Dib rolls his eyes. “Nothing really, just hope that Dad won’t be too fueled up on coffee.”

“Mmm. He probably is.”

Dib sighs as the elevator dings and opens up. “Yeah, you’re probably right about that.” They walk through the small corridor that has two doors. One is a locked door with one of Zim’s transporters in it that takes them to his base and the other is their Dad’s lab. The underground lab isn’t by most of the scientists since it’s where the top secret projects are worked on and Zim deemed it safe enough to have a transporter placed there.

Gaz unlocks their Dad’s lab door and they walk in to find their Dad sleeping on the couch that’s against one of the walls in the lab. Zim is out of his disguise and curled up on their Dad’s side, also sleeping since he didn’t move when they walked in. Their Dad’s goggles are off and even from the distance they’re at, they can see the bags under his eyes.

“This is so much worse than them making out.” Dib fake gags, looking away while Gaz shrugs and walks over to the couch.

“It’s not the worst it could have been, you have to admit that. At least I can use this as blackmail against Zim to get him to buy me a new game.” Gaz says, taking a picture on her phone and turning towards her older brother.

“You don’t really have to blackmail him, he’d do it if you asked.” Their Dad’s groggy voice says, making both kids jump slightly.

Gaz shrugs. “It’s more fun that way though.”

Their dad hums in response, rubbing at his eyes and blinking awake. “What time is it?”

Dib looks at the clock above one of the walls, looking away from the sight of his Dad giving Zim a kiss on their forehead. “It’s 10:18PM.”

Their Dad sighs for a second before standing up and stretches, yawning and his back cracking a bit. “How long were we working?”

“Four days.” Gaz says, walking past her Dad stretching. She yanks Zim’s leg from the couch and laughs at the yelp he let’s out, eyes snapping open. His PAK legs are halfway out when Zim realizes it was just Gaz before he retracts them and sighs.

“Why must you pick on Zim?” He whines, slumping against the couch and halfheartedly glaring at Gaz.

“She could have done worse.” Their Dad says, amusement evident in his voice. Dib snickers at the way Zim pouts and somehow slumps further down on the couch. “Let’s go home, I miss sleeping on an actual bed. And we’ve been stuck for a while anyways.” Their Dad offers his hand to Zim who shakily grabs onto it.

Dib rolls his eyes and starts walking towards the doors of the lab with Gaz, who pulled out her game again. Dib doesn’t get how their Dad puts up with Zim’s overdramatic nature or even finds it endearing. “Dad, Zim ate all my snacks again. Can he buy more?”

“LIES! I NEVER ATE YOUR SNACKS!” Zim shouts and Dib winces. He sure as hell didn’t miss Zim’s shouting.

“Huh. I remember going to grab some water earlier this week in the middle of the night and findin-“

“I MADE A MISTAKE, I STAND CORRECTED.” Zim cuts off Gaz as they all walk out of the lab, locking the door and walking to the elevator.

“Love, I think you owe Dib some snacks.”

Dib looks up to his Dad who has a smile on his face as he looks down to Zim, who glares at him.

“Fine.” Zim sticks his tongue out at Dib, who just gives him smug grin.

They fall into idle bickering and chatter on their way to the parking lot and continue until they have made their way to a 24-7 convenience store. Zim groans and makes a show of giving Dib and Gaz 50 dollars each. Zim still hasn’t learned the value of money and neither of the kids are willing to tell him, instead grabbing it and rushing out of the car before their Dad can say anything.

“You spoil them, you know.” Membrane says, leaning back in his seat and turning to look at Zim.

Zim shrugs. “I only use my money on food and clothes, Zim has a lot of it to spare.”

Membrane laughs a bit, before leaning over and kissing Zim’s cheek. Zim turns and kisses him in return before pulling back with a grin on his face. “Oh, did I just woo you, Professor?”

Membrane smirks, deciding to play along while they wait. “Well, you know I love someone who loves my kids as much as I do.”

Zim’s eyes widen and he sputters something, but his blush is enough to make Membrane laugh a bit before giving Zim another kiss. “You’re cute.”

“Of course Zim is cute.” Zim replies, his face still a bit pink. “And, Zim loves people who are smart.”

Membrane chuckles before yawning and stretching as much as he can in the car. “I’m going straight to bed when we get back.”

Zim nods, yawning as well. “Yes, I will join you.”

Membrane nods as Gaz and Dib jump back into the car with three bags each, quickly hooking up their seatbelts. Smiling as he looks into the rearview mirror and sees his kids both munching on one of their snacks, he starts driving them back to the house, though his right hand is holding Zim’s the entire time. They end up staying awake for a little longer as the kids both tell them of their week before Membrane heads to bed, Zim nodding and following.

When they make it to their room, Zim walks over to the closet and grabs one of the shirts and changes. Membrane smiles softly as he changes as well, both of them beyond exhausted from their continuous work. Down to only his pajama pants and a loose shirt, Membrane turns and chuckles at the sight of Zim flopped down, face first, on the bed.

“Move over a bit.” Membrane nudges Zim, sitting down on the bed.

“Mmhmm. Okay.” Zim rolls over and looks at Membrane, who leans down and gives him a kiss before motioning to move over. “Auuuuugh, okay, okay.”

Zim finally moves over enough, giving Membrane enough room to lay down comfortably and pull the covers over the both of them. “Goodnight.”Membrane yawns out.

Snuggling up to his side, Zim nods. “Night.” 


End file.
